Method of constructing miniature structures



Jan. 10, 1933. WANNER 1,893,792

METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING MINIATURE STRUCTURES Filed Dec. 31, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 1,1933. (3. D. .WANNER 1,393,792

METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING MINIATURE STRUCTURES Filed. Dec. 51, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 jg'a' Q 151 4.

Jan. 16, 1933 e. n. WANNER 1,893,792

METHOD OF GONSTRUCTING MINIATURE STRUCTURES Filed Dec. 31. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet s Flti. 8. l4. 9.

Patented Jan. 10, 1933 UNITE STATES GEORGE D. WANNIER, OF DAYTON, OHIO METHOD OF CONSTBUCTING MINIATURE STRUCTURES Application filed'December 31, 1929. Serial No. 417,653.

This invention relates to miniature structures, such as toy airplanes, and other devices, made in accordance with the method herein set forth.

The invention relates more especially to a method of instructing in manual training for acquiring rudimentary knowledge of the arts to which the miniatures relate, the improvements herein described beinga modification of the method of constructing miniatures set forth in my copending application for patent Serial No. 385,622, filed January 29, 1929.

As herein illustrated and described, the invention comprises the unassembled material for a miniature airplane and an instruction sheet, including diagrams, and part names, which is to be followed in, constructing the miniatures; also a master pattern which shows the structural outline of the plane and serves as an aid for assembling the plane from the material that is provided. Asfap plied to airplanes, the educational feature of the invention is especially timely and is regarded as being helpful for acquiring practical rudimentary knowledge of airplane construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of the master pattern;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the master pattern illustrating the first steps of assembling the airplane;

Figs. 3-4; are plan views of. the vertical and horizontal tail surfaces;

Figs. 56 are views illustrating further steps of assembling the wings and tail surfaces;

Fig. 7 is a view in side elevation of the fuselage including detail views of certain of the parts;

Figs. 8-9 are detail views of the fuselage and'tail surface assemblies;

Fig. 10 is a detail View of the propeller;

Fig. 11 is a view in perspective of the assembled airplane;

Fig. 12 is a View illustrating winding of the propeller motor;

Figs. 1314 are views illustrating adjustments for varying the performance;

Fig. 15 is a view of a device for forming the wire used in the structure.

The invention is a modification of the method of assembling the airplane set forth in my copending application for patent herein referred to, the improvement consisting in the provision of a master outline pattern upon which the miniatures are assembled. This enables the student to improvise his own material to some extent and tends to encourage originality and active interest in the subject.

The master pattern as shown in Figs. 12 consists of the Wing pattern 1 and tail surface patterns 2-3, the structural outlines be ing printed on heavy paper which is fastened, preferably on a supporting board 4.

In constructing a miniature airplane, or other device, by this method a sheet of transparent cover material 5 is placed over the pattern and is fastened to the board so that the outline can be seen through the same. The cover material may be of any suitable kind, such as paper, and the term transparent as here used is intended to include any such material through which the outline will be visible. The cover supporting structure, or the individual parts thereof if it comprises a plurality of parts, is then shaped to the required form, according to the outline, and is glued or otherwise secured to the cover material. Usually the shape given the supporting structure will closely follow the outline but it may be modified according to the ideas of the student.

Then the wing and tail structures are completed, the sheet of paper bearing the assembly is removed from the pattern and the paper is trimmed to the outer structural outlines. The various assemblies are then made on the fuselage for completing the airplane.

Each set of parts provided consists of a supply of wing surface material, uncut spar andrib material, tail surface bounding material, fuselage, propeller, propeller motor, mounting devices and a supply of adhesive.

The first step of assembling the airplane consists in placing the wing and tail surface material 5 over the patterns 1-23 and fastening it to the board l. The wing spars 6 and ribs 7 are then cut from the material, preferably balsa wood in view of its lightness, the measurements being obtained by laying the material over the corresponding structural outline of the wing pattern and marking it for cutting. A light, even coat of cement is then applied to one face of each spar and rib and the parts are again laid over the pattern and joined adhesively to the paper 5. The ribs are cut to the required length to fit freely between the front and rear spars, a drop of cement being applied preferably at the joints 8.

Pins 9 are then set in the board 4 along the edges of the tail surface patterns 23 (Fig. 6), the pins being inclined slightly inward. Edge material 10, such as light spring wire, is then placed on the patterns inside the pins, the tension of the wire causing it to expand against the pins, thus conforming to the contour of the patterns. The ends of the Wire overlap as indicated at 11-12. The wires are then joined to the surface material by applying cement along the outer edges of the wires between the pins, the edges adjacent the pins being cemented later.

The fuselage 13, as here shown, is rectangular shaped in cross section, and consists, preferably, of a piece of balsa wood. A bearing bracket 15 is fixed on the front end of the fuselage by a spur 16 anchored in the wood. A friction clip 17 is applied at the intermediate portion for supporting the propeller motor 20 laterally (Fig. 11) and a hook 18 is fixed inwardly adjacent the tapered end 14 of the fuselage by a spur 19. The parts 151718 are first fixed in position on the fuselage and are then further secured by applying cement along the contact edges.

For assembling the wings on the fuselage, clips 21 are fixed at one end to the inner ends of the fore and aft spars of one wing (Fig. 5), the clips being fixed to the spars with cement and spurs pressed into the wood. The first wing assembly is then left for the cement to dry. The opposite wing is then connected in like manner to clips 21, the unsevered portion 20 of the paper serving for holding the wings together in properly spaced relation during the assembling. A weight block 22 will be of advantage for preventing warping of the wings while the cement dries, the wings being placed alternately into the relative positions illustrated in Fig. 5 for effecting the assembling.

Pins 9 are then removed along the wire bound edges of the tail surfaces 23 and additional cement is applied to the edge portions of the wire, the parts being then left for the cement to dry. The outer margin of the paper is then trimmed to finish the assembly of the tail surface as illustrated in Figs. 34.

For final assembling of the tail surfaces on the fuselage the vertical tail surface 3 is located relative to the tapered end 14 of the fuselage as illustrated in Fi 8, the spur 23 of the wire 10 being anchored in the wood and the tang 24 secured with cement in the manner described relative to the other wire parts. The horizontal tail surface 2 is then located on the under side of the fuselage as illustrated in Fig. 9, and cement is applied at front and rear where the wire contacts with the fuselage.

The propeller 25 (Fig. 10) is furnished cut to the proper curvature, the faces and edges being left more or less unfinished for hand dressing when the airplane is assembled. The propeller is also drilled for its shaft 26 which is firmly held in place with cement.

All wine parts are preferably made as part of the manual training, the wire 27 and a forming tool 28 (Fig. 15) together with illustrations and instructions, being furnished with the outfit.

With all the parts assembled as described, the propeller motor, consisting of a rubber band 20, is connected between the propeller shaft 26 and hook 18, the band passin through part 17 The motor is energized by rotating the propeller as illustrated in Fig. 12.

The airplane may be operated as a glider, without power, or may be operated by a motor, as shown. For circle and stunt flying adjustments of the wings and vertical tail surface are made as illustrated in Figs. 1314, according to the character of the performance desired. The leading edge of one wing is normally warped as illustrated in Fig. 13 for balancing the airplane against the torque of the motor. The rotation of the propeller, which is in counter-clockwise direction, tends to cause the airplane to fly in a circle to the left; for straight away flying adjustments of the wings and the vertical tail surface are made accordingly. The airplane is adapted for indoor flying, the full range of flight being obtainable in an ordinary room.

While the method of constructing miniatures and the material provided, as herein set forth, relates to airplanes, the principle of the invention applies generally to the construction of miniatures of similar character.

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of constructing a miniature airplane which comprises superimposing on a structural outline of a wing structure a sheet of transparent cover material through which said outline will be visible, shaping frame parts individually to conform to the respective parts of said outline, attaching said frame parts to said transparent cover material in register with'the corresponding parts of said outline to form the wing, trimming said transparent material to conform to the exterior contour of said outline, securing an attaching device to the ends of two such wings to connect said wings in spaced relation and securing said attaching device to the fuselage to support said wings on the respective sides of said fuselage.

2. The method of constructing a miniature airplane which comprises superimposing on a structural outline of a wing structure a sheet of transparent cover material through which said outline will be visible, shaping frame parts individually to conform to the respective parts of said outline, attaching said frame parts to said transparent cover material in register with the corresponding parts of said outline to form the wing, trimming said transparent material to conform to the exterior contour of said outline, securing an attaching device to the ends of two such wings to connect said wings in spaced relation, securing said attaching device to the fuselage to support said wings on the respective sides of said fuselage, and bending said attaching device to properly position said wings with relation one to the other and to said fuselage.

3. The method of constructing small devices consisting of frames and flexible covers which comprises superimposing transparent material, which is to form part of the device to be constructed, upon a pattern sheet having thereon a structural outline of the several units of the device, shaping the structural parts of said units individually to con form to the respective parts of said outlines, attaching said structural parts to said transparent material in register with the corresponding parts of said outline to form said units, trimming said transparent material to conform to the exterior contour of said structural outline, and assembling the completed units into a unitary structure.

4. The method of constructing a small device having a supporting structure and a cover therefor which comprises superimposing over an outline of the device to be constructed a sheet of cover material which is to form a part of said device and which is of such a character that said outline will be visible through the same, shaping the individual parts of a supporting structure to conform to said outline attaching said supporting structure to said cover material in register with said outline and then trimming said cover material to conform to the contour of said out-line.

5. The method of constructing small devices which comprises superimposing over an outline of the device to be constructed a sheet of transparent cover material which is to form part of said device, bending a resilient rod to conform to said outline, attaching said resilient rod to said cover material in register with said outline and trimming said transparent material along the outer side of said rod.

6. The method of constructing small devices which comprises superimposing over an outline of the device to be constructed a sheet of transparent cover material which is to form part of said device, inserting a series of pins through said transparent cover material along said outline, bending a resilient rod, placing the same on said cover material within said series of pins, and permitting it to expand into contact with said pins, whereby it is caused to conform to the contour of said outline, securing said rod to said cover material, removing said pins and trimming said coger material about the outer edge of said ro In testimony whereof, I allix my signature.

GEORGE D. WANNER. 

